Sweet Surrender

~Distance~

Evangeline sat in the dark on her bed staring at the door. Terribly shaking and trying her best to get rid of the annoying lump in her neck.
She can't believe she did this.
Her heart ached with the thought that she ruined what ever closeness she had with Adrian.
She curled up on the bed and turned her face into her pillow to drown out her crying.
~·~·~·~·~~
Sleep just could not claim him.
Haunted by what happened between he and Evangeline. He was taken completely by surprise of the passionate look in her eyes. Although she doesn't know of the full force of her sensuality, she was every bit the enchantress before him. They trembled with want for each other and it frightened him and with that he awoke with the awareness of her innocence.  He could do nothing but wait for his desire to pass. He hated himself for the wounded look on her sweet face when he rejected her.
It wasn't for her sake. But his own.

*~*~*~*~*
The day Caroline returned she had felt the tension in the air between them.
They avoided one another throughout the day and ate supper in silence. Very few light airy words were spoken but that was when she began the conversation.
She had confronted her brother about her concerns and wanted to know what happened but his tortured look brushed it off with a small smile that it was a "small disagreement "they had. Nothing to worry about.
Evangeline on her end would say nothing as well.

Caroline never realized the severity of this "small disagreement" until Alicia showed up one day.
And what little contact Evangeline did have with Adrian or Alicia had severed for good.

Ever since Alicia arrived to spend time with Adrian, Evangeline would disappear. She spent most of her days out in the barn busying herself with the stable hand and helping out. She worked to get him off her mind.
But it did not work.

She nuzzled her mares neck and sadly closed her eyes. The days were so lonely she sighed. Feeling hungry she decided to call it a day and go in for supper.

Exhaustion had the best of her as she trudged through the back entrance towards the foyer.
She barely made the stairs when the shrill annoying voice of Alicia stopped her.
"Where have you been?" She asked.

"The barn," she replied.

"All day?" Alicia scoffed in disbelief.

Turning to face Alicia, Evangeline spoke with as much politeness as she could muster up.

"Yes, I have been helping the stable hand," she breathed.

With a taunting laugh, Alicia began to belittle her.

Evangeline could not take anymore and decided it's best to leave while the waters were still bearable.
But, Alicia would have none of it.

Immediately she grabbed Evangeline's arm and stopped her from leaving.

"I'm not done talking you little chit," Alicia grit  her teeth.

Frustrated Evangeline yanked her arm away.

"I've noticed you and Adrian   have barely been speaking, why is that? What did you do?"

"That is none of your business," Evangeline said angrily.

"Everything that pertains to my fiancé is my business,"

"Then ask him and leave me the hell alone" Evangeline shot back.

Their heated words and physical scuffle escalated and gained the witness of one person by the library that saw it from the beginning.

"You insolent bitch," Alicia spat.

"No, you're  the bitch Alicia," Evangeline shouted.

Immediately she was aware of the hand that lifted and painfully crossed her cheek. Evangeline was stunned and mortified. Anger over took the best of her and Adrian entered from the front entrance just in time to see the slap being returned just as fast if not harder that Alicia slightly tumble from the blow to the floor.